The ways of life
by JadePhoenix.393
Summary: There are many ways of living life, but you are the one who chooses what you want to live. Nobody can do that for you, Kai.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everybody ! Oh, am I glad to be back after such a looong interval ! waaaaaaaaaahoooooo Okay okay, jumping time over, back to work now. So, first of all, this is the same story which was previously posted under the name ' The name not thought as of yet ' heh, I guess many of u wont even recall it, it was a hell long time ago! Actually, there had been a lotta problems, which included my right arm getting almost paralysed, me getting a huge huge writer's block, my dismal term results and my ultra lazy nature of course. Anyways, I am really sorry about it and I hope none of these problems arise again except the last one obviously ;) And yeah, one more thing, I am going to increase the chappie lengths, but that would be bit by bit, coz the first two chapters are going to be pretty short, after that, it will start getting longer.**

**Disclaimer : I obviously dont own Beyblade ! What a stupid line ! Serously, if I did own it, Kai would have been the hero, and he would be present in every damn episode. N yeah, Ming Ming would disappear from the series mysteriously really, every time dat girl is shown, i just feel lyk snatching the mike from DJ and stuffing it down her silly throat! **

**Okay, now for the story... Hope you guys like it !**

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" Aawww chief, this hike's turning out to be a complete bore. ", complained Tyson.

" Tyson, we aren't here for hiking, we are supposed to train and then practice for the upcoming tournament ! ", Kenny retorted.

" Upcoming tournament ! Hey, you should really check you stats this time. It's after a hell long gap of THREE months ! ", Daichi exclaimed.

" But Hiro said that we are to practice right from now, as there are many good players around now, and I guess Tyson wouldn't like to loose his champ status, right Tyson ? ", replied Kenny.

" Hey, nobody's taking my place from me, but really chief, we just have defeated the BEGA players, don't we actually deserve a break ? Just a small teenie weenie... uh, maybe not that small... but still pretty small - break ? ", Tyson asked.

" Oh Tyson, if you just stop your bickering and try to look around, you would see that we can enjoy here too. ", Ray said.

" Yeah, it's really is beautiful around here, what with all the snow covered peaks, chartreuse colored landscape full of greenery and woods and bright flowing sunlight all around you. Even though I like the oceans more, still I must admire this place. It's really gorgeous ! ", Max explained, supporting Ray.

" Oh okay, but I am getting really very hungry and need something to keep up the good form, so don't you think we should take a breather and have something ? ", Tyson pleaded, " Hey, what have you brought for us today Hilary ? "

" TYSON ! COMPLETE YOUR TRAINING FIRST AND THEN THINK ABOUT FOOD, YOU GET THAT ? ", shouted Hilary.

" Okay okay, keep your voice down, you did blow up my precious ears, well actually your voice too, but _that_ would be a nice relief. ", Tyson retorted.

" He he, nice one, Tyson. I didn't think you would be able to crack such a one without anything in your stomach.", Daichi smirked.

" Oh yeah, and when did you start thinking from, monkey boy ? I didn't know monkeys had brains. ", Tyson responded.

" Well, actually monkeys do have brains Tyson, so Daichi can think. ", Ray quipped in.

" Oh yeah, see I can think... Hey, what did you mean ' _so_ I can think ' ? You idiot, you called me a monkey ! ", Daichi shouted.

" Would you guys cut off your cat and dog fights so we can complete our training properly ? ", Kai retorted.

" That's a very good idea, Kai. ", Max said, " Come on guys, let's finish it off quickly to feast on later. "

" Aawww fine, let's do it. ", Tyson submitted. " Hey Hilary, are you gonna move ? Or did you burst your own ears with that shout? ", he asked, seeing she just seemed lost in a trance.

" Oh shut up, I am coming ! ", Hilary replied. She had been shaken out of her thoughts by Tyson. She had been recalling the past one and a half month. They all had been through a lot of struggle as the BEGA league had replaced the BBA, and they all had opposed that movement, leading Boris to fix up a Justice 5 tournament, a 5 on 5 match series, to solve the matter. The last two battles had been like hell, with Brooklyn battling both Kai and Tyson. Kai had won the first one, but Brooklyn had refused to accept his defeat and Dranzer had been destroyed almost completely. Even though Kenny had been able to repair it back to its original self, Kai still hadn't tried it out in a match. In the end Tyson had defeated Brooklyn, and Brooklyn had finally come to terms with it. The BEGA league had been destroyed and everybody had returned to the orginal and pure form of blading, after they had seen through the intentions of Boris okay, i know u guys know dis bit, but its essential for continuation . Now, the Bladebreakers i luv dis name much more than G - revolutions, so i m keepin it had been formed again, with all the members reunited and Kai the leader again, and Hiro as their coach. They had come to a nice quiet valley for training and practicing for the next tournament. She had expected it to be a calm and quiet fortnight, but it was actually turning out into a big struggle for her...

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_( flashback - this is a big one, so i'll tell you when it ends, till then, everything's either the flashback, or some event that took place during the flashback period, which maybe unknown to Hilary, as this is not a flashback experienced by her ; it's just a flashback in general )_

It had been their first day in the valley. Hiro had ordered them to go on hiking the mountainside for the day, as they could have some fun at the beginning. They had all agreed to go, except Kai, who, of course, preferred to go on his own. So, they were down by one. As they were setting off, Hiro warned them to keep off the high cliff on the wayside as it was pretty slippery with all the moss and fungi growing on it. ( " Fungi ! I am not gonna set my foot within 10 feet of it ! ", Daichi had exclaimed. ) Then they set off on foot, enjoying every bit of the wonderful landscape.

As they moved on, Tyson and Daichi started to get restless. Tyson begun complaining that what sort of fun was it to keep moving on a hillside with the same sort of things all around to watch. So, after some debate, it was settled that they would go a bit farther up than they had intended to, ie, to the beginning of snow covered peaks. As they reached there, they decided that Ray would battle against Max, and Tyson against Daichi.

The first battle was Tyson vs. Daichi obviously, they couldn't wait for Ray and Max to get over with theirs . The rule was that - whoever's beyblade stops rotating first - loses, as there wasn't any dish there. They both shouted simultaneously, " 3 2 1...Let it rip ! ", and launched their beyblades with it.

Both had launched with quite perfection. The blades were chasing each other in a circle and none was showing any signs of being dominated.

" Come on, Dragoon ! ", Tyson shouted.

" He he, Tyson, this time I am gonna show you how's it done. Get him, Strata Dragoon ! ", Daichi replied.

Both the blades crashed in, and there was a loud clunk of metal clashing against metal. But Daichi had launched the attack with more precision, and so Tyson's was knocked hard towards a side.

" Sheesh Tyson, I am sure you can do better, or am I mistaken, ' _champ_ ' ? ", Daichi leered at Tyson.

" Okay Daichi, I am happy that you have learned something from me. As for the battle, it's just started buddy ! ", replied Tyson, rubbing his nose with his finger, " You wanna see the power of a champion, all right then, I'll give you the opportunity for all the trouble you have given me. "

" Dragoon ! Engine gear full force , he shouted, " Tornado Twister Attack ! "

A storm started brewing up and high winds begun blowing around.

" Oh gosh ! I can't see a thing with all this dust in my eyes ! ", Daichi yelled, clearing the dust blown up by Dragoon from his eyes, " Okay Tyson, then here I come. Go Strata Dragoon ! Great Cutter ! "

" Oh yeah ! Now it has begun Daichi. Dodge it, Dragoon ! "

Dragoon dodged the attack pretty well, but Daichi kept on attacking it. Dargoon was able to dodge them still, but it was tiring down.

" Oohh ! This monkey thing's starting to madden me. Okay Dragoon, no more dodging, let's get straight head to head. "

" Now ! Galaxy Storm Attack ! "

Dragoon hit the lower part of the attack ring, cracking it a bit, and imbalanced Daichi's blade.

" Aaaarghh... you don't do that to Strata Dragoon ! Go Strata ! Engine gear full force ! Great Cutter ! "

" Dragoon ! Galaxy Turbo Twister ! "

There was a loud blast and nothing was visible in it. Suddenly, it all went out and two blades fell from the big bang, hit the ground and stopped spinning.

" Match drawn ! ", Max exclaimed.

" Wow, that was a great one. You both played very well guys ! ", Ray said.

" Yeah, it was a pretty nice one, but their beyblades have been damaged a lot, especially Daichi's with Tyson almost cutting through the attack ring. ", Kenny replied.

" Oh, but you can fix it chief, right? And hey Daichi, nice match buddy. ", said Tyson.

" Thanks Tyson, you too were pretty good ( and actually lucky too ), but I am gonna win the next time. ", Daichi answered.

" Oh yeah, we will see to that next time. ", Tyson said arrogantly, " Hey you two, you are next ! "

" I am pretty excited about it, what about you Ray? ", Max asked.

" Oh come on Max, this isn' t the first time we are battling together. But you are a very tough opponent, and I am gonna be careful. ", Ray responded.

" Hey guys, has anyone seen Hilary? ", Tyson asked, looking around.

" She was here at the start of the battle, I don't think anybody noticed anything after it started. ", Max replied. The others nodded to confirm it.

" Oh, where has this girl gone to? ", Tyson asked looking concerned.

" Let's go and search for her, we can get on with the match later, right Max? ", Ray suggested.

" No probs Ray. Let's go and find her."

" Okay, then let's go. I just hope she is safe. ", muttered Tyson.

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**Okay guys ! Finally, I have uploaded my first fanfic ! Oohh... I am so happy ! WAAAAAAAAHHHOOOOOOOOOOO ! Fine, now for the reviews please ! Guess I shud do it sum more - please please please please... All u gotta do is to go to dat lavender button which says GO n click on it, n u'll make sumone's (dats me of course) day. Pleading wid huge puppy eyes**

**N yeah, one more thing, i hav already written out a lot more of dis fic, but i'll upload it only if i get my reviews. so long, c ya guys! n dont forget abt dat sweet little button!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer : Okay, how many more times do I have to say that ' I DO NOT OWN BEYBLADE ' ? Seriously, some rules really suck...  
**

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Hilary had started to get bored of the battle. " Don't these guys ever think about anything else ? ", she thought. " Oh yeah, I forgot Tyson, he thinks about food also ! ". " Ooooohh... what am I talking about? From when did I start getting bored of watching beybattles ? What's happening to me ? And why the hell does my mind keep wandering off to that Kai ? I guess I just need some peace to sort out things and clear out my mind. I could just go up the hills for a bit of calm. ", she said, sighing.

She started up the rocks. It was pretty rough and broken up. There were some jagged ends too. But she finally managed to reach to a nice cosy rock which looked quite comfortable for siting down.

" Whew, I guess it was a bad idea to climb up here after all. Anyways, it's definitely much more quiet around here. ", she exclaimed, looking about her.

" Oh, wow, those hills look so calm and tranquil. Guess all that hardship didn't go waste. Nice lesson. Next time, don't make up your mind about things before spending some time to judge them. "

" Okay, now for those stupid irritating questions. First of all, what's happening to me and why do I keep thinking about Kai ? Huh, I don't know ! "

" You don't know or you don't want to know ? ", asked a little voice from inside her.

" Uh, well, I do want to know, but I... oh, what's going on ? ", she replied, a bit confused and irritated.

" I'll take that as a yes. ", the voice said.

" Hey, just give me a moment at least ! ", she cried.

" A moment ! Hey, do you know what a moment is ? You have been pondering over this from the time we set out for this beautiful place. And you havn't even tried to check out this place. Listen girl, maybe you don't wanna enjoy here, but I want to do so ! And you have been disturbing me ever since you got here. So, let's solve out this problem as soon as possible so that I can relish the left out time. Okay ? ", the voice retorted.

" Uh... okay fine ! Say what you want to say. ", Hilary gave in.

" Okay then. To start with, what's happening to you ? I'd say you are falling for someone. The next, why do you keep thinking about Kai ? Obviously, coz he is the one you are falling for. So now that you got your answers, what do you think you are gonna do ? ", the voice said.

" Oh wow, so kind of you to give me such short and sweet answers ! But I feel that you are right. I guess I was running away from my feelings. I have started to like him. And the feeling has actually grown stronger after the reformation of the Bladebreakers. ", Hilary answered, deep in thought.

" So, finally my little mistress has got her little senses back ! I am thankful to you dear. So, what next ? ", the voice responded.

" Hey, I don't have little senses, you get that ? I am the unofficial coach of the Bladebreakers, and to deal with those guys, you have got to have loads of senses. Anyways, now that you have told me all this, then _you_ should be the one to tell me what I should do now ? ", she replied.

" Well, let's see... The best opinion would be to go and tell him everything and then wait for his answer. ", the voice suggested.

" Huh, but do you really think that he likes me and would reciprocate if I approach him ? ", asked Hilary tentatively.

" Oh I see... So you are afraid to tell him that you like him, right ? ", retorted the voice.

" Hey, I wasn't saying _that_. I mean... given the fact that he is pretty cold hearted and rarely shows his emotions, I just thought that how am I gonna react if... well, if he doesn't like me ? And if it is so, wIll we be able to be friends again ? And what if Tyson and the others Come to know about this ? What would they think ? And how would they react ? Will they... "

" Oh ! Will you shut up your drab talk ? ", the voice interrupted, annoyed. It continued, " And as for Kai, why the heck do you think you like him so much if he is so cold hearted ? Don't you understand that it's because of the fact that he is not the person he actually goes about like. He may be very frigid to people in general, but when it comes to caring and understanding someone, well, his heart is just like pure gold. And _you_ should know that pretty well, after all, he was the one to include you in the Bladebreakers initially when everybody else were pretty much hesitant to do so, am I correct ? "

" Huh, I guess so... yeah, you are correct. And that was actually the first time I had liked him too. ", Hilary said, reminiscing that time.

" So, you should go now and tell him that you like him, okay ? ", said the voice.

" Now ? Couldn't I go after sometime ? Or maybe I could talk to him when he comes back to the camp in the evening ? I mean I don't even know where he might be right now ! ", Hilary replied.

" Okay, so you started your freak talk again ? And me idiot, I was already beginning to think about some real good time spent enjoying this place. ", the voice responded.

" Uh okay... fine, I am going down to find him right now. You happy now ? ", she retorted.

" Very happy. ", replied the voice dreamily.

" But I can't go down the same way I came up. I guess I should find out another. Oh yeah, there's one just near that boulder. Maybe I'll be able to get down by that way. ", Hilary said, talking to herself. She walked towards that rock and found that the road down to the bottom was much less steepy and much more flat than the one she had come up from. But the only problem was that she did have to go very near to the cliff Hiro had warned about to get down from there.

" Oh fine, I can manage that. And it's really much better than the one I came up by, and I am no kid who can't walk past a cliff without loosing my foothold. So, I am going down there, no second thoughts about it. ", she thought. " and I don't have any problems with fungi like Daichi. ", she added as an afterthought.

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At this moment, down the hill, Tyson and the others were busy searching for Hilary.

" Hilary ! Hilary ! Where are you ? ", called Max.

No answer.

" Hey Hilary, can you hear us ? ", Ray shouted.

Again no answer.

" HILARY, WHERE ARE YOU GIRL ? ", Tyson cried at the top of his voice.

Still no answer.

" Oh, I am beginning to worry about her. Tyson, do you think she could have gone uphill, maybe, near that cliff ? ", Kenny fretted.

" I don't think Hilary would do that, I mean she does shout a lot, but that girl still has got loads of brain. But then, maybe she did. ", mumbled Tyson in a baffled voice.

" Okay guys, if she has gone up there, then I think that that's where we all should go too, after all, who knows, maybe she needs our help ? ", Ray suggested.

" Huh, yeah, we should and we are going up there if she needs our help. Wait up there Hilary, we are coming. ", Tyson replied, shaken out of a reverie by Ray.

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Hilary started going down carefully at first, but later, as she got comfortable with the walk, she again resumed her thinking activity. She had seen the way from above, so she knew pretty well where she was heading. Just then, her foot stuck a small stone which was coming out jaggedly from the ground. She hadn't been prepared for it. She fell headlong down on the ground. Unfortunately, she had been walking pretty close to the clif and she slipped.

" Oh no, I should have listened to Hiro ! ", she thought, looking down the cliff with big fright in her ruby eyes. She had just caught the the end of the cliff and was hanging down from there, trying hard not to look at certain death below. Her hands were beginning to slip the hard rock. They were already bleeding as she tried to grasp the scraggy ends hard to keep her hold.

" Oh... only if I had not left my friends down there. ", she thought. " Somebody, please help me ! ", she shouted, shaking with fear.

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**Yipppeeee ! Another chapter up ! I know this one was a shortie. But a biggie is coming up. Hope I am able to upload the remaining two too. So guys, I leave you with the lil lavender button...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, 3rd chappie's here. Sorry for the short author's note, I don't have much time to write it down right now. Anyways, I don't think you people really prefer reading my ranting, right ?**

**Disclaimer : Okay, now they are slamming it in my face...**

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" I don't think I would be able to hold on any longer. Oohh, my hands are paining so much.", she wailed.

Almost fifteen minutes had passed after Hilary had slipped from the cliff, but it seemed an eternity to her, clinging at the sharp broken ends of the clif. She was trying hard to hold on, but her hands were already red with blood and she was losing her energy very fast, partly due to fear too.

She tried to get a foothold in the huge rock cliff, but she wasn't able to do so, as she didn't dare to look down in fear of getting unconscious with the view of the deep valley looming below.

" I can't believe it's gonna end like this ! Duh... why the heck did I come up here ? Oh... it's no use to complain anymore. ", she thought.

" It's over. ", she gave up, " Aaahh.. ", crying loud she let go of the rock ends se was holding on to and closed her eyes.

" NOOO ! HILARY ! ", she heard a big shout, and suddenly a hand thrust out catching her flaying arms.

Hilary opened her eyes and saw Tyson's face leaning over the cliff, looking with concerned and troubled eyes at her.

" Tyson... ", she mumbled weakly.

" Don't worry Hilary, I am gonna pull you up. Just hold on to my hand tightly. ", Tyson replied.

He started pulling her up, holding onto some small protruding rocks with his feet for support. His arms and feet were geting scratched and were aching, but he held on. Hilary, getting some foothold at last, tried to scramble up. She clutched on Tyson's hands, who caught her firmly by her waist and pulled her. But suddenly, he lost his grip on the rocks he was holding to, and Hilary, unknown to this development, still tugged at him.

" OH NOOO ! ", Tyson shouted, as he plunged over the cliff, alongwith Hilary.

" Oh my goodness ! ", Kenny cried.

" TYSON ! HILARY ! ", called the others.

" Tyson ! What happened ? ", Hilary screamed.

" I... I just lost my hold ! ", he stammered.

" Huh... Oh Tyson, we are gonna die. ", she moaned.

" Hey ! Wait for a moment ! Hil, look down. ", he cried.

" What ? ", Hilary asked, as she looked down, " Huh... what's that ? "

" A ledge, Hil ! We are safe. ", he screamed with joy, as they landed down on the ledge rolling a bit. Then they finally came to rest on the ledge.

" Whew ! That was a close call. Are you okay ? ", Tyson asked Hilary.

" Yeah, am fine, except my hands are bleeding. What about you ? ", she replied.

" Oh, me okay, don't you worry about me. ", he said. But it wasn't true. Because when he had spotted the ledge he had pulled Hilary closer to him to protect her from the impact of the fall, and had fallen on his back. Thus, he was pretty much hurt and injured, but he didn't want Hilary to know this as he knew that she would fret about it, when she should be concentrating more on getting over her trauma of the incident.

" Hey guys ! Are you two okay ? ", they heard Kenny call out.

" We are fine Chief ! But we definitely need some help here. ", Tyson shouted out.

" You guys just stay there, we'll get you help soon. ", Ray replied.

" And take care not to move much, stay calm. ", Max added.

" Hey Tyson, buddy, don't worry, we are gonna get ya guys out soon ! Same for you, Hilary ! ", Daichi shouted to comfort them.

" Don't worry guys, we are okay down here. You just get Hiro and others to help us out of here. ", Tyson answered.

Suddenly, he felt Hilary slump in his arms.

" Hilary ! You okay ? ", he asked, concern ringing in his voice.

" Oh Tyson ! I am just feeling very weak and sleepy. ", she replied.

" Well then, you'd better take a bit of rest after all you have been through. Just close your eyes and rest. I'll be on guard. ", he said.

" Thank you Ty. Thanks for everything. ", she mumbled before resting her head on his chest and falling to sleep.

" You are welcome Hil. You are always welcome. ", he answered softly. Hilary smiled and snuggled in closer.

Tyson kept looking at her scratched up yet smiling face. He had liked it when she had called him as ' Ty '. It was the first time he was realising how beautiful she had become over the past few years. He remembered the time when he had first introduced her to his teammates as ' the witch of the eighth grade '. But now, everything had changed. She had become one of his best friends and his teammate. And... she was actually the only girl he cared about... deeply, no matter how much she annoyed him, as he knew she would always be there if he ever needed her.

Thinking this, he said, " And I should be the one to thank you Hil. And don't ya worry, we'll get out of this mess safe and sound very soon. ". And he closed his eyes too, still admiring the girl in his arms.

Little did he know that they were going to get out of there sooner than either expected, as two amethyst eyes quickly swept down towards their camp to get help, after watching this whole drama unfold from a distance.

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Kai ran down the slopes as fast as his legs would carry him and gosh ! that's real fast. I still remember that scene when he runs to get his registration done for the tournament in the 3rd season . He had come up on the other end of the hill to get the ' some peace and quiet ' for which this place was known. And just when he had settled down on some soft green grass, staring out at the sky with his favourite twig in his mouth, he heard a faraway rumbling shriek.

" What the heck... ? ", escaped his mouth, as he turned to see a figure clinging to the cliff and another in something red trying to help the former. Before he could register the fact that it was Tyson and Hilary, both of them went tumbling down. He was shocked. His friends were gonna... wait ! they weren't gonna die ! He could see a ledge right below them, and his eyes trailed them falling on it. Then they collapsed.

" Oh great ! Does it ever occur to these guys that they are in a peaceful zone and therefore, ARE SUPPOSED TO BE QUIET ? ", he growled, as he hurried down the slopes.

He soon reached the camp and called Hiro out. He quickly explained the situation to a flabbergasted Hiro, and thankfully, he understood, inspite of his initial shock. They both rapidly collected some strong ropes and fasteners, and hurried up to the slippery cliff. They met Ray, Max, Daichi and Kenny midway, who were really pleased on seeing them. After all, they both were the most sensible and dependable ones on the team.

Soon, they reached the spot, and Hiro, being very careful this time, ordered all of them, except Kai of course, to stay back and far behind the mossy area. Hiro then called to Tyson. But Tyson, well, you don't expect him to change, right? Even when he's hanging on for his dear life. So, actually, when Hiro called Tyson, he didn't hear ! More clearly, he was busy sleeping !

" Duh... now _this_ is a problem ! ", Hiro lamented.

" Don't worry, I'll wake him up. ", Kai said.

" And how exactly are you gonna do that ? ", questioned Hiro.

Kai simply said, " The same way Hilary does it. " And with this, he shouted, " Hey Tyson, wake up buddy, here's your favourite banana pancakes and vanilla muffins ! "

" Mmmmm... really ! I love them. Where are they ? ", that was a major wake up call for Tyson, " Hey, just a sec, where am I ? "

Hiro couldn't stop staring. " I really can't believe he's _my_ brother. "

" I too had problems believing that. Hang on, you'll come to terms with that fact soon. ", Kai smirked. But he stopped smirking as soon as he saw Hiro glaring at him. " Oh I am really sorry, but I can't do anything about the fact that he's your brother, right ? ", he smirked again.

" Hey guys, are you gonna get us outta here ? ", they heard Tyson shout.

" So you finally figured out where you were. It took really less time to penetrate such a thick head. ", Hiro retorted.

" Okay, enough of this. Hey Tyson, take this rope. ", Kai cried out, as he threw down a rope to him, holding the other end tightly with both his hands. Tyson caught it and pulled it a little to check its credibility. It seemed okay. Then, he tried to get up Hilary.

" Hey Hil, wake up ! ", he said. But she didn't even move. He tried again. No answer.

" Hiro ! Something's wrong ! Hilary isn't moving. ", he called.

" Check her pulse. ", Hiro replied.

" And how exactly do I do that ? ", Tyson asked, confused.

" Take her hand and feel for her pulse, you idiot. ", Hiro said.

Tyson tried to follow Hiro's instructions, but couldn't really get anything. He caught Hilary's arm and tried to feel for ' pulse '. He couldn't feel anything except her skin.

" Uh... Hiro, I really have no idea how to do it, bro. ", Tyson wailed, giving up.

" Oh God ! Seriously, why _me_ ? ", Hiro groaned. " Okay Tyson ", he said, taking a deep breath, " Can you at least try to check her breath ? "

" Sure, why didn't you say that before, you dumbo ? ", Tyson replied cheerfully and bent down to listen to Hilary's breath. It sounded perfectly normal to him.

" She's okay ! Breathing normally. ", he cried in delight.

" Some dumbo, huh ? You wait till you get out, thickhead ! ", Hiro muttered.

" Tyson, tie the rope around Hilary and make sure you do it tightly. ", Kai ordered. Tyson did as he was told. Kai and Hiro pulled her up safely.

" Hiro, will you attend to her ? I'll help out Tyson. ", Kai said. " Hey Tyson, here, catch the rope. "

Tyson caught it neatly and Kai hauled him up. They all moved out of that area, and went to the safe place the others were standing with bated breath.

" Are you okay Tyson ? Your head is bleeding at the back. ", Kenny asked worriedly.

" Awww chief, I am okay. Champs don't get hurt that easily, do they ? ", Tyson laughed out arrogantly.

" Oh, but you got to have something in there to actually feel the pain, right thickhead ? ", Hiro quipped.

" Oh will you shut up your mouth ! ", Tyson retorted.

" Well, actually you should be thankful to him, otherwise you would still have been down there enjoying your peaceful nap. ", Kai said.

" Hey guys, how's Hilary ? ", Max exclaimed at the right time to prevent Tyson from replying to Kai.

" I think she's fine. A bit knocked out. But she'll get back to consciousness soon. Just needs some rest. ", Hiro replied, checking her.

" Great ! So now we need to carry her down to the camp, right ? ", Kai questioned.

" Obviously, and if none of you can carry her, I'll do so inspite of my pain. ", Tyson said.

" Didn't you just now say you weren't feeling any pain ? ", Kai answered back, " Hypocrite ! "

" Okay guys, stop this bickering. I am gonna carry her down, and you guys keep clear of the cliff now, get that everybody ? ", Hiro said in a deciding voice.

There was a round of ' yeah ' and ' yes ' all around ( and oh, a ' hn ' too ).

" Fine then, let's move. ", he commanded.

They reached their camp without any further mishaps. Hilary was still unconscious. Hiro laid her down on the couch gently and tried to revive her by sprinkling some water on her face. She finally stirred after some minutes, and opened her eyes to see half a dozen anxiously looking at her.

" Hey Hil, you okay ? ", Tyson asked tenderly.

" Uhhmmmm, I guess so. Just feeling a bit dizzy. ", she replied, trying to get up.

" Don't move, you need rest for a while. ", Hiro warned, while bandaging her bleeding hands.

" Relieved to know you are okay, Hilary. We guys actually had our hearts in our mouths when we saw you falling. ", Max said.

" Yeah, it was good Tyson had presence of mind and such good reflexes, otherwise God knows what might have happened. ", Ray agreed.

" Tyson and presence of mind usually don't go together. ", commented Kai.

" Oh yeah ? But you know what, I was the one to save her and not _you_, you get that, Mr. I-know-damn-everything ? ", Tyson spat out, angered.

Kai started to reply, but then, changing his mind, just glared at him and walked away.

" And you know what Tyson, _he_ was the one who got here much before the others could, and so we were able to save you guys so quickly. You should be grateful to him. ", Hiro retorted.

" Huh ? ", Tyson, a bit confused, looked around to see where Kai had been standing, but he was gone.

" I think you should better go and apologise to him, Tyson. ", suggested Kenny.

" Aaah... you think you are gonna find ice cube when he wants to be alone ? ", Daichi said.

" It's ice block Daichi, or more precisely, block of ice. ", Tyson replied, flustered.

" Whatever... ", Daichi ignored him, " Jeez, I am really so hungry ! Heya Hiro, what are we having for lunch ? "

" Well, I am pretty hungry too. What say, Ray ? ", Max said. Ray nodded, " Let's eat guys, I am starving. "

" I'll get you something to eat, Hilary. ", Hiro said.

" Thanks so much, Hiro. ", she replied.

" Hey Tyson, ain't you coming ? ", Kenny asked, somewhat surprised to see him lagging behind in food matters.

" Uh, you go on chief, I'd better talk to Kai and say a sorry to him for my rude behaviour. Anyways, he would be hungry too. We'll be back in a while. ", Tyson replied, as he moved towards the door.

Hilary watched as Tyson went out of the door to apologise to Kai. She was feeling very bad about all this. After all, it had been all her fault. She should be the one to apologise for putting others' lives into danger for helping her. Her mind went into a tizzy again. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

" Here's your lunch, Hilary. ", she heard Hiro say. She looked at him. He was standing there, holding a tray with a plate and a cheeseburger and a mug of hot chocolate milk in it. He was so caring.

" Thank you. ", she managed to squeak out, feeling more and more guilty by every passing moment.

" What's wrong ? ", Hiro asked, noticing the strain in her voice.

" Uh... nn..nothing ! ", Hilary stammered, avoiding his eyes.

" Are you feeling bad about it ? ", Hiro asked, in a matter-of-factly tone.

She looked up and stared into his eyes for a while. " Uh... yes. It's..it's all m..my fault, isn't it ? ", she replied weakly.

" No, I don't think so. I mean, if you are talking about that accident, well, it was an accident, right ? And if you mean the spat between Tyson and Kai, you really can't blame yourself for those two nerds. They just fire out at damn anything. So, stop worrying about it, okay ? ", Hiro answered.

" I dunno, I still don't feel okay. I mean, it's not only about those two, the others were pretty much troubled too. ", she said in a worried tone.

" But Hilary, why are you still thinking about it ? See these guys. ", he said, pointing towards the table the others were sitting, having their lunch, " They don't even remember something happened. They are just back to their normal self again. "

Just then, Daichi's shout echoed throughout the camp. " Hey, that's my cheeseburger ! Get off it, you freak ! "

" Okay, a bit too normal maybe. ", Hiro hastily added.

Hilary smiled. She was feeling better now. " Thanks sooo much, Hiro. You _really_ are just like my brother. ", she said.

" Seriously Hil, I would much prefer to be _your_ brother than that idiot's. ", Hiro said in a mockfully remorse voice. " Now, go on with your food, or else it'll get all cold. "

" Right - O, big bro ! " Hilary chuckled, checking out her plate.

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**Was this okay ? I don't think the size will increase much more than this one. As for the reviews, please guys, I am dying for them...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer : Of course, I don't own Beyblade, but yeah, I do own my wierd ideas ;) Life would be hell without them. But hey guys, can I own Kai, please please pretty please ?**

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Kai walked out of the camp door, angry and confused. Of course, he hadn't shown them how he had felt hearing Tyson, but he couldn't run from himself, could he ? After all, he had done whatever he could to save Tyson and Hilary from near death. And what did he get in return ? A rude remark from a guy, whom he thought of as his best friend, howsoever idiot he might be. A remark which pierced his cold mask and hurt his well - hidden heart. Actually, this feeling of being left out was getting heavy on him for some time now. Now, it had been just aggravated to great heights. They were all a team, and the others were friends too. But he couldn't say the same thing for himself. He didn't feel like he was considered as an inseparable part of the team, even though they did obey him, but it looked more due to the respect and awe he carried, rather than being friendship and trust. It was just as if they were putting up with him because they were a team and he was their captain, otherwise they wouldn't even give him a damn look.

For the first time in many years, he felt his heart tighten into a small ball. He felt like he had lost a lot in his life already. The time he had spent at the Abbey had forced him to cloak his emotions and feelings under a cold hearted appearance to the world. Rage swelt up inside him as his thoughts flew to the miserable years at the Abbey. Even though his memory had been wiped out before he had been able to get out of that dreadful place, he could still feel the tortures and anguish that place could give a person. It had been here where he had first learned to disguise his feelings, to put on an emotionless face, as most of the time, it helped much more than reacting out violently. And that's what his grandfather had taught him at a very early age, ' Love is for the weak ' and ' Friends is just the other name for traitors, people who appear friendly to you, but in reality, use you for their selfish purposes ; and when that's done, they disappear, leaving you all alone to suffer from the betrayal '. And he had believed it completely.

But when he had met the others, especially Tyson, he had realised that it was just the opposite. Love actually made you stronger, strong enough to face any situation, just for the one you love. He had understood the true meaning of team work and friendship, working with the Bladebreakers. The life he lived now started from Tyson and ended at him. He was the one who had made Kai understand the true sense of beyblading. He had helped him, unknown to himself, to bond an undying bond with Dranzer. Yet he still felt unwanted amongst them. However hard he tried, he wasn't able to push out this thought from his mind. He felt like... _crying_. A big lump was starting to form in his throat. He tried to block out the tears that were starting to prick his eyes. How could _he_ cry ? He had been trained against all sorts of emotions by his grandfather. No, he couldn't cry. _He was not supposed to cry._ But as much as he tried to fight it, the more weaker he got.

Finally, he wasn't able to control himself any more. He ran away from that place onto the high slopes, so that nobody would be able to see him cry. There, the tears went down his pale cheeks freely. This time, he didn't stop them. He couldn't. He was feeling just too helpless, too tired of the insensitive, uncaring world around him. He still ran wildly, into the deep forests, not caring about the scratches the sharp bushes made on his face and hands, not caring about anything. Right now, the only thing he wanted was... to feel wanted. By anything or anyone, it didn't really matter. All that mattered was that feeling of being wanted he was longing for. His mind felt like it would burst at any moment. He stopped by an old withering tree to lie down and rest.

" Control yourself, Kai. You shouldn't be weak. ", he muttered to himself. But his tears still didn't stop. They just flowed down as if they had been wanting to get out for years now and had been suppressed for a very long time. He threw himself down on the ground and buried his face in the soft forest grass. He stayed that way for some time, letting out all his welled up tears find a way out. Just then, he felt something soft nudging against his hair. He looked up and saw a wolf looking straight into his eyes.

He stumbled, taken aback by the sudden appearance. He carefully looked at it again. Now, he realised that it was just a baby wolf. A smile broke on his tear stained face and he moved forward to stroke the cute animal. The wolf rumbled quietly and looked upto him sweetly and contendedly. He collected it in his arms and started caressing it. It settled softly into his lap, licking his hand with its tongue. After a long time, Kai felt at peace, watching and caressing that young creature. It reminded him of his childhood, when he used to goof around with his sister and friends, when he and his sister used to be a constant headache for their parents for their pranks, for which they were famous throughout their place. His sister ! Aaah, he missed Keisha ! He missed her so much. She was just like his actual walking and talking diary. The same way he was for her. They were so open to each other about every thing, even if it was something they hid from their parents. But now, everything was over. His grandfather, Voltaire Hiwatari, had killed almost everybody that had been close to Kai. He had murdered his parents in front of his eyes, when he was just a seven year old kid, and had taken him and Keisha with him to the worst place Kai had ever seen, the Abbey. There, they were trained like soldiers, to take over the world by mastering the art of beyblading, and were punished brutally even at the smallest mistake. Keisha had stood against it, but was not able to do anything, as the power against her was just too great for her to overcome. Yet she had fought with every single breath she could muster up. And Kai never knew any of these things, as he was separated from his sister the very first day they had got to the Abbey. All he ever came to know was that his sister had revolted against Voltaire, but he had been able to ' deal ' with her without any problems. It was extremely well known throughout the Abbey what did ' dealt with ' meant. It meant his sister had been murdered cold bloodedly by his grandfather, just like he had done with his own son and his wife. That was the last day Kai had cried. After losing the person closest to him, he had steeled himself against every damn thing the Abbey could come out with. Thus, he was known throught the ranks of the hundreds of students of the Abbey as the ' warrior ', who had trained under Voltaire and had mastered his arts. The warrior, whose heart no plea or cry could pierce through, who was just the ideal student Voltaire had wanted. And he had got him. Kai had become completely inifferent to his surroundings the day he had come to know about his sister's death. The world had closed around him. Just, some days before he had everything a boy of his age could dream of, and now, he had lost all that, including Keisha.

He had then trained hard, very hard, and had become the best blader of the Abbey. No beyblade escaped unscathed and undefeated if it ever came out against him. He virtually ruled the kids in there. Then one day, all of a sudden, he stumbled upon something his father had saved for him, which his grandfather had hid from him for so long. He found Dranzer in his grandfather's room. That day, his world changed again. The dark power which had engulfed him till of now was starting to evaporate. His mind started getting clearer and clearer, and he saw through his grandfather's plans pretty soon after that. He was able to run away, but not without getting every single memory of his childhood being wiped off his brain. He then led a gang of his own, named the Bladesharks. It was then that he had met Tyson, and later on, Ray and Max too. They had then formed a team, the Bladebreakers. It was with this team that he had learnt these little bits about his forgotten past, about his parents, his sister, and about himself. He had once fallen to the power of Black Dranzer, but after his team had helped him out of that, he had vowed never to stray ever again. This team had gone through may ups and downs, once even completely dismembered, but now they were back together again. And they were a very strong team. But now, all Kai wanted was to mingle with them and have a family again. A family which he could call as family, howsoever unlike it might be to his original family. Tears started to well up in his eyes again.

But he was again interrupted by the little wolf, as he snuggled in closer and let out a dull growl. " You really don't want me to cry, do you ? ", Kai asked it smilingly. It looked up into his eyes very sweetly, as if agreeing with his statement. He stroke it lovingly. " Thank you, my little friend. ", he said. He then wiped off his face with his sleeve, and looked at his watch. " Oh gosh, it's 3.30 already. Guess I cried for a long time. But I have understood one thing now. It's not weak to cry, to let your emotions flow out. Anyways, time to go back. ", he noted. He picked the baby wolf in his arms from his lap, and gently let it down on the ground. " Here you go. And thank you again. ", he said as he waved it goodbye. Then, he set back towards the camp, desperately hoping that they would be searching for him now, as he was so late, even though he used to disappear like this all the while. But this time, he wanted them to be looking for him, or at least, getting worried about his whereabouts. He gave a look in the direction of the camp and sighed. No, it didn't make sense hoping for such a thing. After all, it would appear just normal to them that he was out there all alone. Then it struck him.

It had been him all the while ! All that he had been thinking about his team was just... trash. Or at least very unlikely. Because, most probably, he was the reason why they used to keep their distances from him, as he always put on a cold appearance. And he had grown so accustomed to it, that he hadn't shed it off even in front of those whom he wished to be close to. " Oh great, I just feel even stupider than Tyson. And people call me a genius ! Seriously, why the heck didn't this fact strike me before ? ", he remorsed, scolding himself. " Fine, now I am gonna show them my true self, the actual Kai. ", he decided, as he ran down towards the camp, excited by this new discovery and its prospects.

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Tyson went out of the camp, remorseful. He had not meant to hurt Kai in any way. It had just been a sudden outburst at that small jest, which he had taken pretty seriously. Now that he went over it again, he realised that Kai had just been trying to have some fun. Was it wrong for him to do that ? Of course not, especially when Tyson himself enjoyed joking around with him so much. But then, he never had fired out at Tyson, right ? Usually he used to either just ignore him or if he found the joke really funny, he would simply silence Tyson by a witty one - liner, and then walk off. But never had he spit out at him.

Tyson started feeling very guilty. Kai was very special to him. He was the one due to whom Tyson had got his Dragoon and had understood what the actual beyblading world was like. And even though he did not show his biases, he definitely enjoyed the battles with Kai much more intensely than combating with any other blader, even his friends, Ray, Max or Daichi. He actually used to forget who or where he was when he battled him. It just seemed as if another dimension used to open up, especially reserved just for the two of them. He and Dragoon loved being there, and he knew Kai liked it too. And now that he thought of it, he realised that nobody knew what Kai was actually like as much as he did, because the Kai he had seen during their final match of the last world tournament was the actual Kai, the one without his mask, the one who bladed for the enjoyment and pleasure it brought.

And he was Tyson's closest friend, whether he himself felt it or not. He was the only person for whom Tyson would go to any lengths to win a battle. He was the source of constant confidence and support to him, in a beydish or out of it. Definitely, he had got his own ambitions, but Tyson knew it well that he would never do a thing that could harm him in any way. Tears came to his eyes as he thought of their days together, starting from the time when he had first met Kai and had got defeated damn easily. After that, it had been a constant struggle for him for the improvement of his game, but Kai had always been there whenever he needed him. Their team, the Bladebreakers, had been virtually invincible, as each one of them was very powerful and more importantly, they stuck out together in every situation. He remembered how Kai had trained him for his crucial match against Zeo, even when Kai himself was not in a stable condition, losing Dranzer to Zeo in the semifinal. And then, when the Bladebreakers had broken up, with each member joining their home teams, Kai was actually the one Tyson had wanted to fight with, initially because he had hurt him the most by deserting the Bladebreakers, but later because he wanted to prove himself to his former captain. And he knew it was the same with Kai too, the reason why he had left their team to join the Blitzkrieg Boys. To be able to fight against Tyson. He also knew that it was not because he had wanted to win the championships or any other lame excuse he had initially made, it was only for the pleasure of fighting out an intense beybattle with Tyson. And they both had got what they wanted, with Tyson getting the championship trophy and Kai getting his desired battle.

Now that they all were back again, Tyson had forgotten how he had struggled during the last year and how much had he missed Kai. Of course, he had missed them all, but it was Kai whom he had missed the most. And now, he hadn't even thought for a second before saying something so insulting to him. " Hn, do you really think before saying anything ? ", a voice spoke up inside him, a voice which sounded so similar to Kai. " I gotta find him ! ", Tyson decided, looking around.

But he could not see a soul for miles around. " Oh boy, where did he go ? ", he exclaimed, " Well, it has been some time I have been reminiscing. So maybe, he's either gone too far for me to catch up with him or he's gonna come back soon, having spent time alone already. Okay, so how am I gonna find him out now ? Think Tyson, think ! Where does he usually go in such a situation ? "

" Boy, do you really follow me around, Tyson ? ", he heard a voice remark sarcastically from behind his back. He wheeled around to face the owner of that voice.

" Kai ! I knew you would be coming back soon now. ", he cried.

" Oh yeah ? Maybe that's what your weird statement meant ? ", Kai replied, still sarcastic.

" Kai, please, I am really sorry for whatever I said. I... I didn't mean to hurt you, buddy. ", Tyson desperately pleaded with his eyes fixed on the ground, " And so you can say anything you wanna say, coz I am gonna listen to without opening my mouth, okay ? Guess I deserve a good spanking from you after all that. "

" Hey, look who's thinking. Tyson, it really doesn't suit you to go all that serious, you know. ", Kai said, smiling. Tyson looked up in his amethyst eyes. He was surprised to see laughter in them, instead of the usual coldness.

" Uh... Kai ? You okay, buddy ? ", he stammered hesistantly.

Kai stared at him for a moment, and then walked upto him and gave him a warm and tight hug. Tyson was shocked. He had rarely seen Kai getting emotional. And this time, he didn't even know why it was so. But then, he felt the warmth which surrounded him, the warmth of a friend, and he hugged him back. Neither of them drew back. That hug meant so much to both of them. Finally, they had been able to let out all their emotions flow, and had sealed their friendship.

" Ummm... Is something up or have I missed a good moment ? ", they heard a voice crack in. They broke the hug and turned around to see Hiro with a wide smirk on his face. " Guess I interrupted at the wrong time. Carry on, guys. ", he smirked again, looking mischievously at their hands clutched together, a fact unknown to both of them. Their somewhat confused eyes followed Hiro's gaze down to their clasped hands, and it hit them both simultaneously. They quickly pulled out their hands of the interlock and glared at Hiro.

" Hiro ! Will you shut up ? ", Tyson shouted at his brother, who now laughing crazily.

" Umm... let's see... Why should I ? ", Hiro frowned, continuing, " Wait till I tell the others ! ", as he jogged back to the camp.

Kai was eyeing the retreating bluenette with a weird expression. Seriously, Hiro wasn't much different from Tyson when he did such things. Both were... _bakas_.

" Come on, let's get in before the idiot of your brother goes insane with his fancies. ", Kai remarked to a still staring insanely Tyson.

" Uhh... yeah, let's go. It'll be very good for him if he keeps his mouth shut, otherwise I am gonna bang him real hard. ", Tyson replied.

" Out ? or... in ? ", Kai asked, smirking.

" Kai ! Cut it out ! Seriously, I liked the cold Kai much more ! At least, he didn't used to get such weird ideas ! ", Tyson retorted.

" But couldn't it be that he never spoke them out ? ", came the reply. Tyson turned around to stare at his friend.

" You are kidding, ain't you ? ", he asked, unnerved.

Kai looked at him. " What do you think ? ", he said in a serious tone.

Tyson did an anime sweat drop. " I... I don't know ! ", he managed to stammer out.

" Of course, I am ! Haha, just look at your face, buddy. All pale ! ", Kai laughed.

Tyson stared at him. Kai ? Laughing freely ? Boy ! He was _so_ different from what he put up.

" Come on, hurry up now. Or the others would be freaking out as soon as your crazy brother tells them his fantasies. ", Kai's voice cut through his thoughts.

" Oh no ! I forgot about that ! Ohh... let's run to the camp. ", Tyson cried out, " Shit ! Hilary's there too ! "

" Hilary ? ", Kai frowned.

" Umm... did I say Hilary ? Oh... it's nothing, Kai. Don't stare at me like that ! ", Tyson stuttered.

" You like her ? ", Kai asked, in a matter-of-fact tone, looking straight into the chestnut brown eyes.

" Wha... nn..no, Kai ! O..Of course, not ! ", Tyson stammered, hurrying upto the camp to avoid any more conversation with his captain.

Kai watched as the navy haired boy backed out to the camp. He smiled. Tyson was real bad when it came to hide things. Maybe he should take some training from him if he wanted to hide that from Hilary for long. Because if he didn't, Kai knew for sure that Hilary would definitely find it out by herself pretty soon. But he could not understand why Tyson did not want her to know as they both made a really good couple, given their devotion to each other and the way they stuck together in the toughest situations, even though they blew up at each other at every damn single opportunity they could get. And he knew that Hilary was the only person for whom Tyson cared more than Dragoon ; not Hiro, not any of his other teammates, not even Kai himself, it was always Hilary.

His mind flew back to the time when Tyson and Kenny had first brought Hilary to their training camp. Even though Tyson had introduced her rather harshly, still his eyes betrayed his thoughts very easily to Kai. He definitely pretended to be, or sometimes, even got pretty annoyed by her, but whenever he talked about her, his eyes and voice became very soft and caring. Kai remembered when the Psychics had kidnapped Kenny and Hilary, Tyson had been so tensed to rescue them back. Of course, everybody was quite worried, including Kai himself, as he did care for them, inspite of himself. But Tyson, well, he was frantic, and Kai knew it was more for Hilary than Kenny, as he hadn't calmed down even a bit after they had saved Kenny successfully. And the way he had reacted when they had finally got out of that maze of a place, rescuing Hilary in the way back, it plainly showed his worry for them and his happiness in being able to be with them again.

After all, Hilary had always been there to support him, even when they all had left him, breaking up the Bladebreakers, to be able to battle with each other in the World championship tournament. And she was the only person, other than Kai himself, in whom Tyson didn't hesitate to confide in everything he felt, whether it be unbound joy or overwhelming sadness. So, it came as no surprise to Kai that his best friend was finally admitting his love for her. In fact, he was happy that Tyson had gathered all his feelings and understood them at last. It was just like him to hide his emotions from others, in a pathetic way, if Kai's experience was anything to go by, and then torrent them out in an overwhelming manner when he could not stand it any longer himself. One of the initial habits Kai had liked about him. He was just so unpredictable, and yet, very much predictable at the same time. And to figure him out and get things out of him, which he himself did not want to let out, was a very satisfactory source of amusement for the sharp eyed captain.

As his thoughts flew back to Tyson again, he felt a sharp pang in his heart. A pang of utter happiness and joy at having got united with the person he cared the most about in this world ultimately. A feeling he had forgotten to such an extent that it struck him as a jab today. But this was a pain he was willing to suffer in return of all that it brought. He unconsciously smiled again. And felt good about having done that. " Really, I had forgotten what a carefree smile felt like. Guess I should do that pretty many more ! Hmm... ", he muttered, coherent and audible to himself only. Or so he thought...

**" Nice to see you like this, master. "**

" Dranzer ! Where did you come from ? ', Kai exclaimed, shaken out of oneirism.

**" Seriously master, just coz I am a bit late from my talk with Dragoon doesn't mean you start acting as a stranger to me ! "**

" A bit late, huh ? Anyways, it's okay. Sorry, I gave a start like that... I was just thinking... ", replied Kai.

**" Hmm... I am starting to feel jealous of that little wolf now. How did it do this in just some few hours, when I was not able to do the same in these many years ? "**

" Uhh... what are you talking about ? I'm not getting you clearly. ", Kai asked, with his brows forming a frown.

**" What am I talking about ? Look at yourself, master. _So_ much changed. Where's your mask, huh ? "**

" Oh.. that ! Come on, Dranzer, I have just decided to discard it at last. But you don't sound very happy about it ! ", answered Kai, in a skeptical tone, hearing his bitbeast's remark at the change.

**" Oh no ! Don't get me wrong, master ! I am as happy as a bitbeast can be, it's just that I was neither able to bring around the conversion nor was I around when it was happening, so... I'm feeling a bit down. "**

" Hey, it does not matter at all to me that you weren't there to help me. You know what, Dranzer ? You are the only reason that I am what I am. If you hadn't supported me long back, I surely would have been a beyblading assassin today, completely overpowered by the darkness of the Black Dranzer. I actually owe my freedom to you. Sorry, I know I should have said this much before, but I guess it's still not late. Thank you, Dranzer, thank you for all that you have done for me, thank you for always being there for me and thank you for all your support. I just don't and can't imagine what my life would have been without you. ", Kai said, almost overwhelming himself by his touching speech. " And thank you for coming back now, I was really starting to miss you. I'll definitely need your help in getting out of my cold hearted mould. ", he continued.

**" Master ! I..I can't find words to express myself. But I can definitely say one thing - you are always welcome, master, always. "**

Kai's violet amethyst eyes met his bitbeast's fiery golden ones. There were tears in both of their eyes. Tears of gratitude and of joy. Happiness was seeping in through all openings for Kai. This was surely one of the happiest moments of his otherwise terribly messed up life.

" Hey, fine now, let's not get too sentimental. You know how much I hate that. ", he said, wiping off his eyes on his sleeve.

**" Heh, you sure need to learn a lot many things before you are able to become like the people around you with the first thing being sentimentality is not weak. Understand that, master ? And hey, who was the first one to get senti, huh ? You know what, you said ' thank you ' about something like _five times_. Oh yeah, I counted that, after all, you don't get to see the great Kai Hiwatari say things like ' sorry ' and ' thank you ' to you everyday, right master ? "**

" Dranzer ! "

**" Oops, guess I chose the wrong leg to pull, is it master ? "**

Kai stared at the pheonix for a moment. Then he slowly said, " No... and yeah, you are right ! I gotta change. " He smiled. Great ! Now, he was loving this feeling he got every time he smiled. He continued, " And you don't have to call me master, okay ? Just call me Kai. Just be my friend, Dranzer. "

**" Ohh... Kai ! I... I am just so happy. I'd better go now, can't let you see me shedding tears. Goodbye, master... oh sorry, i mean, Kai. But yes, I'll always be there whenever you need me. "**

" Thanks once again, Dranzer. Yeah, I know that makes the count six. Oh by the way, I forgot to ask, how did you know about that wolf ? "

**" Oh, I always know. I always know where you go or what you do. That is what a bitbeast's supposed to do. To be with its master forever. Okay, am out now. "**

Kai looked down at his blue golden beyblade. " And I promise that I'll always be there for you too. "

With that, he walked back to their camp, lost in thoughts.

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**Okies, so this is the last chapter I am uploading for now. I am still working on the 5th chapter. So, c ya guys later armed with another chappie. And hey, don't forget to review ! Please !**

**And yeah, this is to thank all those who reviewed this fic when it was uploaded before under another name. Thanks a lot all of you guys, you gave me hope that I am not the only one out here who has an abnormal mind...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Heya guys ! Okay, I am back with another chappie. Don't sound much happy, do I ? Well, I am not. Because this chapter sucks ! Yeah, that's true. But now, I am gonna post it inspite of all the crappiness cuz I am completely tired of revising and re-writing it. I spent the whole morning today just doing P&C and revision of this chapter. And finally, my mamma was like, you better get up from the chair or I'll throw a bucket of water and wet your PJs right there ! Heh, did I scramble away to washroom then ! Anyways, the basic point is this chapter is good only for the tournament rules, as you ought to know them and cuz they change every season, and for the pairs being formed. Oh by the way, there's a hint at something in this chapter which I am gonna build up later on, let's see whether you are able to locate it.**

**Disclaimer : Hey, do you have any humanity left ? What's left to own ? Even my PJs are gone...**

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" Yo Tyson ! What's going on, buddy ? "

" Yeah, you didn't even tell us ! How long has this been going on ? "

" Wow dude ! You two make a real cute couple. "

" WOULD YOU GUYS SHUT UP ? ", Tyson's voice echoed loudly. " DO YOU REALLY THINK I'D GO FUCKING AROUND WITH KAI ! GOD, DO I LOOK LIKE I AM CRAZY ? "

" Hey, cool down. There's nothing wrong in it, lil bro. ", Hiro sneered, " And well, you do look a bit crazy, or perhaps, more than a bit ! "

" HIRO ! YOU ARE DEAD NOW ! ", Tyson shouted, advancing towards his brother with his face contorted in an angry expression.

" Oh drop it Hiro ! And yeah, cool down, Tyson ! Come on, we know it was just a joke. ", Tyson heard a girl's voice plead. He turned around to look at Hilary. She gave him a very sweet smile and said, " Hey, it's okay. "

Tyson's stomach suddenly gave a big lurch. He glanced at his belly and looked back towards Hilary. _What was going on ?_ He clutched at his stomach to prevent any further spasms. The others stared at him.

" Umm... something wrong, Tyson ? ", Hilary asked, looking concerned.

" Uhh... nn..nothing ! ", he stammered, trying hard to avoid her eyes.

" You haven't eaten anything since breakfast. Hence, that lurch. "

Everyone looked at the entrance. Kai was standing there, lounged against the door, with hands folded across his chest and his eyes fixed on Tyson.

" Ohh... we forgot that ! Come on Tyson, here's your bite. ", Kenny called out, as he moved over to the table and filled out a plate.

" Where did you come from ? ", exclaimed Max, still surprised at Kai's sudden appearance.

Kai straightened up and swept his eyes across the room to look at Max. He turned slightly and pointed towards the door with his index finger. " There. "

From the corner of his eye, he saw Max redden and Ray give him a scornful glare but ignored it, fixing his gaze back on Tyson. Tyson shot him an annoyed look as he collected the plate from Kenny. An outline of a smirk formed on the bluenette's face as he defiantly held Tyson's glare. Tyson dropped his gaze after a moment of clashing looks, and asked, " Food ? "

" Sure. ", Kai answered, still smirking.

Now the Bladebreakers turned to stare at their captain. He never replied to any question in that manner. Well actually, mostly, he never replied at all, and at other times, all that could be extracted of him was just ' Hn ', a short and sharp way of saying ' I don't meddle in your affairs, you keep off mine. ' And hear him now ! _Something_ was definitely very different.

Kai proceeded towards Tyson's outstretched hand with the plate and picked up a cheese burger from it. As he was about to bite off a mouthful from it, Hiro jibed at him in a sarcastic voice. " Not the usual, are you Kai ? Something wrong ? "

Tension rose again in the small room, with everyone expecting the Russian to blow up at the remark. But he simply gave him an indifferent look, raising an eyebrow in a disappointed manner as if challenging him to get more creative in his barbs, and walked towards the couch and sat down beside Hilary. This irked Hiro even more, but he did not react back, keeping the incident in mind for future. He walked out of the camp, his brain working actively on plans to torture the two bluenettes during the training session.

Tyson looked on as his brother went out and did not turn around, not having the nerve to face either Hilary or Kai. " Get a hold on yourself, you idiot ! ", he rebuked himself, moving to the couch and sitting on the only place left, the other side beside Hilary, tensely.

" Hey Tyson, are you okay ? You don't seem well. See, you haven't even touched your food till now. ", Hilary turned her face towards him with her cherry red eyes focussed on his face. Tyson gazed into her face absent-mindedly. _Oh wow, she has got so beautiful eyes. And such a charming face. And her chocolate brown hair look so..._

" Hello... ". A hand waved in front of him, snapping him back to reality. " Yo guys, now you are scaring me. ", Hilary uttered with surprise, earning groans from Daichi.

" Oh my ! Hilary is frightened ! The birth of a new era ! ", Daichi exclaimed, scrunching his nose. Hilary gave him one of her frosty nosed glares.

" Oops ! Guess I hoped too early for liberty. ", he laughed, ducking behind Kenny as if trying to avoid Hilary's wrath.

" Shut up, Daichi. ", Tyson quieted the redhead in a dead but dangerous tone as he moodily stabbed his burger with a fork.

Hilary turned back towards him, exasperated. " Tyson, what's wrong ? Why are you behaving so drily ? Why don't you say something ? "

" Can't I do whatever I like ? What the heck is your problem if I don't feel like talking right now ? Why do I have to explain every damn single thing I do ? You don't ever ask that moron what's he upto all the time. ", Tyson flared up, pointing towards Kai, " Oh then, maybe you don't consider him a moron, right ? He's the big genius who can never do a thing wrong, is it ? But me idiot, I have gotta explain every single move I make, even if it's just eating my burger with a fork ! "

" Tyson... I..I did not mean that ! I just... ", she stammered, looking horror-struck.

" I don't care what you meant ! Just leave me alone, okay ? ", he shouted loudly, cutting her short, and stormed out of the camp, slamming the door behind him.

Hilary stood up to follow Tyson, but was held back by someone who had caught hold of her hand. She turned about and said, " Kai... "

" Just do what he said. Leave him alone. He'll be okay, trust me. ", he said softly, with an intent look in his eyes. Hilary eyed him doubtfully. " Oh okay, if you say so... But people _don't _eat their burgers with a fork ! ". Kai smiled at her convincingly. She stared at him for a second, taken aback at the sudden warmness shown by the captain, and then smiled back.

Ray and Max looked at each other in amazement. This place was producing inconceiveable changes in their friends and team. Maybe it definitely had some of the magic the locals claimed it to possess. The magical mountain air as they called it. If it did exist, it was already showing its effects, on Kai at least. And they were quite happy that the bluenette was finally disposing off his cold mask. He did not look much of that distant unapproachable person now that he himself had decided to close down on that distance.

" Hey guys, you would love to see this. ", Kenny called out from his laptop.

" What is it, Kenny ? ", Ray inquired as he and Max moved closer to the boy sitting crosslegged on the floor with his laptop placed in front of him and his fingers working non-exhaustibly on its keypad.

" The tournament's layout has been declared. There are going to be six teams participating in it. They will be decided by pre-tournament knockout matches. Each team can have a maximum of six bladers and a minimum of four. They would be paired up and can have two-on-two matches on request. ", Kenny read over the rules hurriedly.

" Hey wait a min, I didn't get one thing. How are they gonna match up a four member team against a six member team ? ", Max asked.

" According to the rules given here, the teams will have the choice to change their pairs if they wish to, and there would be a total of three matches. The team winning two matches out of three wins the battle. And if there is a draw with one pair on each side winning one match and one match being drawn, the winning pairs from the two opposing teams will play the decider. ", Kenny replied.

" But how does that answer Max's question ? ", Daichi chipped in.

" Daichi, the four member team will have to change their pairs to make a third one, and put that pair to fight. That way, they'd be able to put up three pairs against a six member team. ", clarified Ray.

" Is it so, Kenny ? Well, this is odd. ", Hilary asked, befuddled.

" Yeah Hilary, it looks that way. I'll contact Mr. Dickenson and let you know the exact details as soon as possible. But I need to get this information to Hiro first. See you guys later. " Kenny collected his laptop and rushed out of the room to find Hiro.

" Hmm... hey Ray, would you partner me in the championships ? ", Max asked.

" Sure, why not ? ", Ray grinned.

" Cool ! ", said Max, thrilled.

" I would partner Tyson, we played real good in the last tournament, both one-on-one and as a team. ", Daichi declared.

" Umm... don't you guys think Kenny deserves a chance too ? I mean, he played very well in the knockouts last year and was the brain behind Blitzkreig Boys' initial defeat in the tournament. ", Hilary interrupted.

" Yes, he definitely deserves a chance. ", Kai said huffily, his eyes fixed on the ground beneath his feet. He hadn't forgotten that defeat, which was partly due to his forfeiting the match against Daichi as he had not been allowed to battle with Tyson by Hiro, rather, the latter had pulled Tyson out of the team at the last moment, frustating Kai, who had practised a lot for that day.

" Hey ! I defeated you out-and-out ! What are you complaining about ? ", Daichi cried out.

Kai looked up and glared at the redhead. Daichi stuck out his tongue at him.

" Uhh... guys, if it's fine with you, we'll discuss that later, okay? Right now, we have got another and important job in our hands. ", Max cut in.

" What do you mean to say, you... you sugarhead ? Do you think my battles are not important ? ", Daichi snarled.

" Sugarhead ? What does that mean ? ", Max asked with a confused face, making everybody, except Daichi of course, crackle with laughter.

" Heh, guess Daichi is keen on starting his own dictionary now. First, ice cube and now sugarhead. Cool, I'll record them for you, O great academician. ", Ray mocked, bending down in a bow.

" Okay okay, cut it out now. Can we get back to Kenny please ? ", Hilary requested. " Fine. So as I was saying, Kenny should play for the Bladebreakers, at least for the knockouts. Kai's agreed to that. Now what about you guys ? "

" I agree ! ", Max nodded, almost immediately, and looked towards Ray.

" Yeah, I agree too. After all, he works just as hard as any of us, if not more. ", Ray gave his assent.

All the heads turned towards Daichi now. " Hey guys, what are you staring me for ? I am not gonna disagree to that proposal. Of course, I agree too. After all, he was the one with the help of whom I defeated Tala. ", Daichi replied. Kai shot him another death glare.

Hilary and Ray gave a big sigh. " What ? You don't expect me to give up a beyblade match to those losers, do you ? It was such an easy one. ", Daichi uttered loudly.

" Daichi, you may not get your beyblade match right now, but if you go on like this, a kickboxing match is definitely your way. ", Max grinned, " And trust me, you won't find _that_ easy. "

Daichi again stuck out his tongue, this time, at both Max and Kai.

" You should better keep that big tongue inside your mouth and listen to your umm... what did you say ? Oh yeah, your sugarhead. He's just got loads more sense than you. ", Kai said with contempt, " And as for Kenny, he's in the team for the tournament. "

" Uhh... no Kai. I don't want to beybattle in this tournament. ", Kenny's voice came from the door. He was back with Hiro.

" You don't want to beybattle ? But why Kenny ? I mean, you were awesome in the last tournament ! ", Hilary inquired, looking confused.

" Thanks Hilary, but after my match against Tala, I understood my real strength. And it's not in sweating out my energies in a beydish. It's in making winning strategies and pinpointing the opposition's weaknesses with the help of technology. ", Kenny answered, patting his laptop, " And anyways, I missed my laptop too much during all the training I had to take for the tournament. I am much more content with burning out my fingers on the keypad, collecting data and synchronising the blades for better functioning. "

" Well, as you wish Kenny, but we would surely have been glad to have you in our team. ", Ray stated.

" Oh but he is still in our team. He's will act as our engineer. We'll require one for the blades in the tournament. ", Hiro broke in.

" Wow ! That's great ! Welcome, our team engineer ! ", Hilary clapped, with eveyone joining her.

Kenny blushed. " Thank you so much guys. I'd definitely put in all my energy to make this team win the tournament. "

" Oh don't worry about that Kenny. We'll win the trophy even if I am there alone. ", Daichi bragged.

" Umm... I won't agree on that. But yeah, the trophy is surely ours this time. We have the damn best team ever, alongwith two cool coaches and a real smart engineer at work. ", Max nodded.

" Yay ! That's the spirit Maxie ! Come on guys, gear up for the battles. We are gonna show them what's it like to oppose the Bladebreakers. ", Hilary shouted excitedly.

" Hey but what about Kai ? He's still not paired up with anyone, and we can't enter the tournament with five players. We gotta be either four or six. ", Ray interjected.

" Hmm.. we'll see to that later on Ray. We have about two months to think about that before we submit in our team member's names. Right now, it's practice time. ", Hiro replied.

They all got up at this and went out with their beyblades to practice and improve their skills. Hiro watched them pass by, and when all had departed, he chuckled quietly , " I definitely wouldn't want to oppose this team. They are gonna rock the world this time. "

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**Okay guys, chappie over. Yeah, I know it's small compared to the last one. But well, I did all I could. Sorry, if it bored you a lot well, if it bored u just a bit, then it's okay for me ;) Okay, so now for the reviews. Lol, I know I am gonna get huge flames for putting up such a pathetic chapter, but as I said, I tried a lot. Anyways, your flares are welcome as well, or who knows, I may gel out some more such chapters if you don't express your discontent about them...**

**Yeah, don't forget to tell me your ideas about that hint. And please, DON'T write out something like, " Oohh, is it that Tyson likes Hilary ? "**

**_krystalMage_ : Loads of hugs ! Umm... as for your doubt about the Kai and Hilary going together, it would be clear pretty soon, actually you would get an insight to Hilary's mind in the next chapter.**

**Oh and one more thing, I am gonna change my pen name to ' thunderPheonix ' in clear 2 days. Thought better to inform you so that you don't search for me by the old one.**

**Right then, see ya later guys...**


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